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I am having a difficult time identifying this object from Israel. It is bronze, 33.1mm x 27.2mm, 24.089g, high relief.
My guess at a description: male deity or king on left, enthroned half-right, head facing(?), wearing flat cap or crown, right hand on lap, vertical scepter in left hand; female consort or goddess (Astarte) standing facing, head left, wearing flat cap or crown and long drapery, right hand at side, vertical scepter in left hand, a central incense altar (thymiaterion) sits between them, all on base platform with two steps.
What culture? What date? What purpose (weight or votive plaque?). The figure on the left appears male and the figure on the right female. Who are the figures? Is he seated or standing? I think she appears to be standing. Is his head facing or right? Is her head facing or left? What they are holding?
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AI suggested the following:
Phoenician / Syro-Palestinian (Late Iron Age to Persian Period, c. 6th–4th Century BC):
Iconography: The scene—a male royal/divine figure holding a staff flanking a female deity (likely Astarte / Ashtoret or Tanit) with a central altar or incense burner (thymiaterion)—is classic Phoenician/Punic divine iconography.
Artistic Style: Phoenician art heavily blended Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and local Canaanite stylistic traits. It typically features stiff, highly stylized, elongated figures with non-Hellenistic crowns or headdresses, executed in raised flat-backed reliefs.
Nabataean / Hasmonean Period (c. 2nd Century BC – 1st Century AD):
The southern Levant (Negev, Judea, and Transjordan) had strong trade connections where stylized non-Hellenized bronze trade tokens and weights were produced locally.
2. Weight Standard (24.089 grams)
The mass of 24.09 g provides crucial metrological context within ancient Levantine weight systems:
Double Phoenician Shekel Standard: The heavy Phoenician shekel averaged ≈11.7–12.0 g. A two-shekel weight (double shekel) falls precisely into the 23.5–24.1 g range.
Juxtaposed Heavy Shekel: In Judean and regional Iron Age/Persian weight systems, 24 g represents a 2-Shekel standard or a fraction of a heavy Mina.
3. Primary Function
Market Weight (Agoranomic Weight): Cast bronze slabs with raised borders were used by merchants in ancient Levantine coastal and inland cities (such as Tyre, Sidon, Akko, or Ashkelon) to weigh precious commodities and spices.
Votive Token or Official Stamp: Alternative uses for flat-backed bronze castings depicting divine investiture or sacrifices over an altar include temple votive offerings, official trade stamps, or cultic weight certificates.
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It took a lot of back and forth to get AI to those answers (it first said Byzantine but I think the style is far from Byzantine). I don't know if any of what it said is correct. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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